There was a moment halfway through the youngest's 9th birthday party that my ex and I stared at each other in terror and wondered how the hell we were going to keep 12 sugared-up tweens occupied for another 90 minutes. But suddenly it was 4.30pm and pool cake time and soon after the mums and... Continue Reading →

I love my Facebook newsfeed. I've "liked" all manner of sites - from the cute to the crazy to the thoughtful - so trawling through it each day is a fascinating treasure trove. Yesterday, a story called 8 Things My Very Tall Daughter Can Expect popped into my feed. It caught my eye because I... Continue Reading →

Where has the year gone? First term at school has galloped past. I've been living in my new house for two months, but I'm still not unpacked. The past two days have been spent trapped at home with the youngest, coughing her lungs up on the couch. You'd think I'd have made some progress on... Continue Reading →

I have a looooooong history with this sort of palaver. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson. But no, the heavy stuff remains a common thread in my life. Generally, it's emotional burdens I carry. Geez they drag me down sometimes. But I've become a heat-seeking missile for the physical ones too. It's the youngest's birthday... Continue Reading →

I was soooooo grumpy yesterday. Completely the wrong mood for celebrating my birthday. It didn't help that I started work at the crack of dawn and went like the clappers until bolting to school pick-up. I was so frantic I completely forgot I'd left my car parked in a one-hour zone around the corner from... Continue Reading →

I'm 47 today. Forty farking seven! Geez that sounds old. And it felt old as I struggled out of bed before dawn for a 7am start at work. Last night was the official launch of the Festival of The Birthday, held at O Bar. It's a revolving restaurant on the 47th floor of a building... Continue Reading →

Now that I have your attention ... I've probably given you a very vivid image of a naked Pamela Anderson-style set-up ... (Actually, I've just Googled "Pamela Anderson trapeze" and it was a vibrating bed, stripper pole and white shag carpeting she had installed in her Airsteam ... I was SURE it was a trapeze.) And... Continue Reading →

I split 300 rolls - and my finger - with a bread knife yesterday while helping prep for the family fun night at the kids' school. My elderly hands were soooooooo cramped by the time I finished. (The organisers, bless them, thought I'd separated enough sausages for one school volunteer lifetime.) It was weirdly enjoyable... Continue Reading →